Dynamic presentation prototyping and generation

ABSTRACT

Some implementations may include a computing device to generate a presentation including a plurality of slides. The presentation may be generated based on an input file that includes commands from a presentation markup language. The commands may specify details associated with the presentation. The details may include a title and a background image associated with each of the plurality of slides, one or more points to be included in each of the plurality of slides, and a style associated with the each of the plurality of slides.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a national stage application of an internationalpatent application PCT/CN2013/072061, filed Mar. 1, 2013, entitled“DYNAMIC PRESENTATION PROTOTYPING AND GENERATION,” which application ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Current software applications that enable the creation of presentationsmay structure workflow in such a way that users spend too much time onstyle rather than the substance of the messages to be communicated. Forexample, users may simply dump content onto slides rather than applyingbasic principles of visual design and storytelling. In addition, usersmay create a linear slide show that does not take into account in-depthinformation about related topics that may arise during the delivery ofthe presentation.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key or essentialfeatures of the claimed subject matter; nor is it to be used fordetermining or limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Some implementations may include a computing device to generate apresentation including a plurality of slides. The presentation may begenerated based on an input file that includes commands from apresentation markup language. The commands may specify detailsassociated with the presentation. The details may include a title and abackground image associated with each of the plurality of slides, one ormore points to be included in each of the plurality of slides, and astyle associated with the each of the plurality of slides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference numberidentifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Thesame reference numbers in different figures indicate similar oridentical items.

FIG. 1 is an illustrative architecture that includes creating apresentation according to some implementations.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative architecture that includes creating apresentation at a story level, a scene level, and a detail levelaccording to some implementations.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes specifyingand revising a presentation according to some implementations.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes specifyingdetails associated with a presentation according to someimplementations.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes generatinga presentation based on a specification according to someimplementations.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes presentinga presentation based on a specification according to someimplementations.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example configuration of a computing device andenvironment that can be used to implement the modules and functionsdescribed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The systems and techniques described herein may be used to createpresentations that are dynamic compared to traditional linearpresentations. For example, the presentations may include presentationsthat are dynamically alterable during rehearsal and delivery. A user mayspecify and manipulate the points to be made in the presentation and therelationships between the points. The user may select global styleparameters (e.g., fonts, colors, spacing, and the like) independently orusing suggested themes. The presentation media (e.g., slide decks and/orother types of media) may be generated automatically based on thespecified points, relationships, and styles. The user may repeatedlyreview the presentation, tweak the presentation (e.g., by tweaking oneor more of the points, relationships, or global style parameters), andre-generate the presentation media until the user is satisfied. Theresulting presentation may support interaction with points in thepresentation medium based on the relationships between the points toenable self-testing during rehearsal and flexible navigation duringdelivery.

Presentations specified in such a manner may be edited and regeneratedquickly using a rapid prototyping process, thereby providing a usablepresentation quickly while supporting changes in presentation style andstructure as the presentation evolves. The presentation media may beautomatically generated to include rich navigation options reflectingthe relationships between points, in ways that would be laborious to setup by hand and fragile (e.g., manually hyperlinking slides) in responseto structural changes. The systems and techniques described herein maybe deployed equally effectively on a variety of platforms, from desktopcomputers, to laptop computers, to touch-based tablet devices, enablingauthoring capabilities that are idea-based rather than style-based, thatsupport casual entry that is not labor intensive, and where touchscreencapabilities may be supported to enable dynamic navigation rather thanlinear presentation.

Illustrative Architectures

FIG. 1 is an illustrative architecture 100 that includes creating apresentation according to some implementations. The architecture 100includes a computing device 102 coupled to a network 106. The network106 may include one or more networks, such as a wireless local areanetwork (e.g., WiFi®, Bluetooth™, or other type of near-fieldcommunication (NFC) network), a wireless wide area network (e.g., a codedivision multiple access (CDMA), a global system for mobile (GSM)network, or a long term evolution (LTE) network), a wired network (e.g.,Ethernet, data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS),Fiber Optic System (FiOS), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and the like),other type of network, or any combination thereof.

The computing device 102 may be coupled to the display device 108, suchas a monitor. In some implementations, the display device 108 mayinclude a touchscreen. The computing device 102 may be a desktopcomputing device, a laptop computing device, a tablet computing device,a wireless phone, a media playback device, a media recorder, anothertype of computing device, or any combination thereof. The computingdevice 102 may include one or more processors 110 and one or morecomputer readable media 112. The computer readable media 112 may includeinstructions that are organized into modules and that are executable bythe one or more processors 110 to perform various functions. Forexample, the computer readable media 112 may include an authoring module114, a generation module 116, and a presentation module 118. Theauthoring module 114 may enable a user of the computing device 102 toauthor a presentation 120 by specifying points to be made, therelationships between the points, and styles associated with the points.The generation module 116 may enable the user to generate thepresentation 120 after authoring the presentation 120. The presentationmodule 118 may enable the user to present the presentation 120 using adisplay device, such as the display device 108. If the user does notspecify a style for the presentation 120, one or more of the modules114, 116, or 118 may select a default style.

The presentation 120 may include one or more slides, such as a firstslide 122 to an Nth slide 124 (where N>1). Each of the N slides mayinclude one or more points 126, text 128, one or more images 130, mediadata 132, links 134, or any combination thereof. Of course, other typesof data may also be included in the presentation 120. The points 126 mayinclude one or more primary concepts or ideas that are to be conveyed tothe audience. The points 126 may be conveyed using one or more of thetext 128, the images 130, or the media data 132. The text 128 mayinclude text that specifies details associated with one or more of thepoints 126. The one or more images 130 may include images (e.g.,photographs, graphics, icons, or the like) that visually illustrate oneor more of the points 126. The media data 132 may include audio data,video data, or other types of media data that may be played back toillustrate one or more of the points 126. The links 134 may be specifiedby a user and may be used to connect different points (e.g., from thepoints 126) and different slides (e.g., from the N slides 122 to 124)with each other to enable a presenter to dynamically provide additionaldetails associated with a particular point during the presentation. Forexample, based on the type of audience to which the presentation isbeing given, different questions may arise relating to the same point.The links 134 may enable the presenter to branch off and presentadditional information to answer different questions arising from thesame point. For example, a point may have three sub-points, A1, A2, andA3. If a question arises relating to sub-point A1, the presenter mayselect a first link to present additional materials associated with thesub-point A1. Similarly, if a question arises relating to sub-point A2,the presenter may select a second link to present additional materialsassociated with the sub-point A2. If a question arises relating tosub-point A3, the presenter may select a third link to presentadditional materials associated with the sub-point A3. If no questionsarise relating to sub-points A1, A2, or A3, then the presenter may moveto a next point without accessing the additional materials related tosub-points A1, A2, and A3. Thus, the links 134 may enable the presenterto dynamically customize the delivery of the presentation 120 whilepresenting the presentation 120.

The server 104 may include one or more processors 136 and one or morecomputer readable media 138. The computer readable media 138 may includeone or more of the authoring module 114, the generation module 116, orthe presentation module 118. In some cases, one or more of the modules114, 116 or 118 may be downloaded from the server 104 and stored in thecomputer readable media 112 to enable a user of the computing device 102to use the modules 114, 116 or 118. In other cases (e.g., in a cloudcomputing environment), the server 104 may host one or more of themodules 114, 116 or 118 and the computing device 102 may access one ormore of the modules 114, 116 or 118 using the network 106. For example,the computing device 102 may send input data 140 to the server 104. Theinput data 140 may include authoring information, such as points to bemade in a presentation, the relationship between the points, andspecified styles. The server 104 may generate the presentation 120 basedon the input data 140 and send the presentation 120 to the computingdevice 102. The modules 114, 116, or 118 may be distributed acrossmultiple computing devices, such as the computing device 102 and theserver 104.

Thus, the computing device 102 may enable a user to author apresentation 120. In some cases, the presentation may be generated bythe computing device 102 using the generation module 116 stored in thecomputer readable media 112. In other cases, the server 104 may generatethe presentation 120 using the generation module 116 stored in thecomputer readable media 138 based on the input data 140 provided by thecomputing device 102. The presentation 120 may be presented on thedisplay device 108 using the computing device 102 (or another computingdevice). For example, the presentation 120 may be authored and generatedusing the computing device 102 and/or server 104 but may be presentedusing a different computing device.

The computer readable media 112, 132 are examples of storage media usedto store instructions which are executed by the processor(s) 110, 130 toperform the various functions described above. For example, the computerreadable media 112, 132 may generally include both volatile memory andnon-volatile memory (e.g., RAM, ROM, or the like). Further, the computerreadable media 112, 132 may include hard disk drives, solid-statedrives, removable media, including external and removable drives, memorycards, flash memory, floppy disks, optical disks (e.g., CD, DVD), astorage array, a network attached storage, a storage area network, orthe like. The computer readable media 112, 132 may be one or more typesof storage media capable of storing computer-readable,processor-executable program instructions as computer program code thatcan be executed by the processor(s) 110, 132 as a particular machineconfigured for carrying out the operations and functions described inthe implementations herein.

The computing device 102 and server 104 may also include one or morecommunication interfaces for exchanging data with other devices, such asvia a network, direct connection, or the like, as discussed above. Thecommunication interfaces may facilitate communications within a widevariety of networks and protocol types, including wired networks (e.g.,LAN, cable, etc.) and wireless networks (e.g., WLAN, cellular,satellite, etc.), the Internet and the like. The communicationinterfaces may also provide communication with external storage (notshown), such as in a storage array, network attached storage, storagearea network, or the like.

The example systems and computing devices described herein are merelyexamples suitable for some implementations and are not intended tosuggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of theenvironments, architectures and frameworks that can implement theprocesses, components and features described herein. Thus,implementations herein are operational with numerous environments orarchitectures, and may be implemented in general purpose andspecial-purpose computing systems, or other devices having processingcapability. Generally, any of the functions described with reference tothe figures can be implemented using software, hardware (e.g., fixedlogic circuitry) or a combination of these implementations. The term“module,” “mechanism” or “component” as used herein generally representssoftware, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware that canbe configured to implement prescribed functions. For instance, in thecase of a software implementation, the term “module,” “mechanism” or“component” can represent program code (and/or declarative-typeinstructions) that performs specified tasks or operations when executedon a processing device or devices (e.g., CPUs or processors). Theprogram code can be stored in one or more computer-readable memorydevices or other computer storage devices. Thus, the processes,components and modules described herein may be implemented by a computerprogram product.

Furthermore, this disclosure provides various example implementations,as described and as illustrated in the drawings. However, thisdisclosure is not limited to the implementations described andillustrated herein, but can extend to other implementations, as would beknown or as would become known to those skilled in the art. Reference inthe specification to “one implementation,” “this implementation,” “theseimplementations” or “some implementations” means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described is included in at leastone implementation, and the appearances of these phrases in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame implementation.

Furthermore, while FIG. 1 sets forth an example of a suitablearchitecture to generate presentations, numerous other possiblearchitectures, frameworks, systems and environments will be apparent tothose of skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein.

FIG. 2 is an illustrative architecture 200 that includes creating apresentation at a story level, a scene level, and a detail levelaccording to some implementations. The architecture 200 illustrates howa user may author the presentation 120 using the authoring module 114.To enable the user the author the presentation 120, the authoring module114 may provide a graphical user interface, a command line interface,markup commands, other types of authoring commands, or any combinationthereof.

Setting Goals Given Constraints

A presentation, such as the presentation 120, may be created with a goalthat is constrained by parameters, such as the content, the audience,the schedule, the event, the preparation context, and the deliverycontext. For example, a presenter may desire that the look of thepresentation not overshadow the actual content and/or message of thepresentation. Presentations may be explicitly constrained by rules, suchas an amount of time, a number of slides, or other constraint that isallocated to the presenter. When creating a presentation, presenters maybe influenced by the relative performance of peers when the peersdeliver similar presentations. Presenters may take into considerationthe relationship between different kinds of audience members and thecontent to be presented, anticipating and formulating responses toquestions that could arise as a result.

Telling Stories with a Presentation

A presentation may include information and examples that are wrapped ina narrative and delivered through the interplay of visuals and speech.The presentation may have multiple points and layers that are connectedby a sense of coherence and flow. The modules, 114, 116, or 118 mayenable a story to be developed before the presentation 120 is generated.Starting with the goal in mind may guide subsequent activities,including crafting implicit messages, explicit takeaways, or rhetoricalquestions. For example, mapping points to slide titles may provide aprovisional structure for elaboration. The modules, 114, 116, or 118 mayenable the user to quickly and easily replace text with images and/orgraphics that convey the intended message.

The modules, 114, 116, or 118 may enable connecting a slide to a nextslide by using a leading question, a hint, or a concern prior to movingfrom the slide to the next slide. Planning and adding transition wordsto a presentation may enable the presenter to explain to the audiencewhy the presentation is moving to the next topic. The modules, 114, 116,or 118 may enable the presenter to view and rearrange content at ahigh-level to enable the presenter to create a sense of flow usingimages and/or descriptive text. For example, each part of thepresentation may be tied to a main theme/story that the presentation isconveying.

Preparing for Structured Spontaneity

The modules, 114, 116, or 118 may enable a presenter to rehearse andrefine a presentation to preserve the presentation structure in the mindof the presenter, thereby encouraging a natural delivery that is freefrom reading and recital. For example, the authorizing module 114 mayprovide a rehearsal mode that enables the use of visual cues in slidesfor the recall of points that are to be made verbally. To illustrate,the rehearsal mode may enable the presenter to learn the associationbetween the visual cues and the points to be made using presenter notes,by providing physical or electronic flashcards to drill points intomemory, or other types of cues. During rehearsal, practicing speakingslides out loud may highlight differences between written and spokenlanguage and support the rephrasing of the language in the presenternotes. The rehearsal mode may enable the presenter to establish a mentalstructure using performance-oriented rehearsals, such as practicewalking around, in front of a mirror, gesturing, or visualizing thedelivery.

Orchestrating Focus and Flow

During delivery, the presenter may desire to communicate a presentationthat flows smoothly from start to finish by directing the audience'sattention to key points using a combination of visuals, gestures, andspeech. Breaking the flow of the presentation may be detrimental to thepresenter and/or the audience by side-tracking the presentation from thekey points of the presentation. For example, after creating thepresentation but before presenting the presentation, the presenter mayobtain information (e.g., a recent event that occurred) and alter theemphasis of the presentation based on the information. For example, thepresenter may determine to go into more detail on some points whileglossing over or skipping other points. Thus, a presenter may desire topresent portions of the presentation in a non-linear order based oninformation obtained prior to presenting the presentation, in responseto audience questions, etc. Memorizing where various pieces ofinformation are presented in the presentation may be impractical forlarge presentations and/or presentations that have undergone significantrevisions. Exiting a presentation to access additional files may resultin losing the attention of audience members and/or creating a perceptionthat the presenter is disorganized. Even if a presenter prepares extraslides (e.g., as an appendix at the end of the presentation) to enablethe presenter discuss points in greater detail, accessing theappropriate slides and then resuming the presentation may be disruptiveto the flow of the presentation.

To enable a presentation to be presented smoothly in a non-linearmanner, the authorizing module 114 may enable linking various portionsof the presentation. For example, a presenter may link points with otherpoints (e.g., sub-points), slides with other slides, etc. to enablenon-linear delivery of the presentation without disrupting the flow ofthe presentation. Such a presentation may enable the presenter todynamically customize the presentation while the presenter is presentingthe presentation. The presenter can respond to information obtainedafter the presentation was generated by presenting the presentation in away that focuses on the points that are relevant to the informationwhile skimming or ignoring irrelevant points. The presenter can respondto questions and explore details about points that are of interest toaudience members while skimming or ignoring points that are of lessinterest to the audience.

Influencing the Audience with Timing

Communication takes place over time, and the presenter's timedrehearsals, attention to timekeeping, and rhythm of spoken delivery mayaffect audience perceptions. For example, even with good timekeeping,the number of questions asked or the amount of discussion generated bycertain points may cause the presenter to skip portions of thepresentation to remain within the allotted time constraints. As anotherexample, a stressed presenter may speak too fast or go through thepresentation so quickly that audience members are unable to absorb thecontents of the presentation, leaving the audience frustrated. Duringdelivery, presenters may desire to hit particular topics by particulartimes. To end the presentation gracefully, some presenters may use atimer that signals the presenter at a predetermined interval (e.g., 2minutes, 5 minutes, etc.) before the end of the time allotted for thepresentation. Finishing on time is often viewed as a measure of successfor a presentation, particularly when the alternative is being told tostop speaking.

Thus, presenters who do not rehearse may overestimate or underestimatethe number of points that may be covered in a particular time period andend up either skipping through large portions of the presentation orzipping through the presentation. In either case, the audience may befrustrated because the presentation was not presented in a manner thatwas conducive to the audience learning the intended message. Themodules, 114, 116, or 118 may enable the presenter to rehearse and timepresenting the presentation in a way that the audience leaves havingunderstood the intended message. For example, the presenter may set timetargets for high level scenes and one or more of the modules 114, 116,or 118 may proportionately distribute the time target to subordinate(e.g., detail) slides and/or points. Thus, when timing feedback isdisplayed for a scene slide (e.g., during rehearsal or delivery), andthe presenter navigates to a subordinate detail slide, the same timingfeedback may seamlessly continue until the presenter moves to adifferent scene. Such a per-scene approach might require less presentereffort and pressure as compared to a per-slide approach.

As discussed above, audience interaction and time constraints may shapethe authoring, rehearsal, and delivery of a presentation. However, theauthoring environment of conventional presentation applications mayconstrain presenters to a primarily linear presentation delivery. Incontrast, the modules, 114, 116, or 118 enable a user to specifyconstraints (e.g., time constraints) while enabling dynamic presentationrehearsal and delivery. Given a fixed amount of time to prepare apresentation, the time saved by not directly manipulating text, images,and other slide parameters to achieve a particular style may bereallocated to more important activities, such as (a) telling storiesusing the presentation by thinking about the sequence, structure, andpurpose of the points to be made and (b) preparing for structuredspontaneity. Time spent on these activities may result in the presenterhaving a more rehearsed mastery of in-depth material, thereby creatingthe freedom for the presenter to be more dynamic, responsive, andimprovisational during delivery.

The presentation modules 114, 116, or 118 may enable presenters toorganize the points they wish to communicate and automatically generatea presentation based on the organization of the points. Enablingpresenters to plan the presentation using points before committing themto a presentation (e.g., slides) may enable the presenter to visualizethe entire story to be unfolded using the presentation. Enablingpresenters to plan the presentation using points may enable presentersto focus on crafting a story that is effective, memorable, andappropriate for the audience. The modules 114, 116, or 118 may enablepresenters to take a collection of points sourced from multipledocuments and/or multiple people and generate a presentation thatincludes those points along with a consistent style. The style used forthe presentation may be quickly and easily customizable while conformingto best practices in the visual design of presentations. Styling apresentation may enable the use of images to emotionally impact theaudience. Concepts presented using images may be remembered by theaudience for a longer period of time than concepts presented by wordsalone. In general, the styling may enable principles of visual design,including contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity.

The modules 114, 116, or 118 may enable presenters to craft and connectthe central scenes of a high-level narrative and encourage planning ofverbal linkages between scenes to strike a balance between storytellingand analysis. The points may be organized into scenes based on thepresenter determining how deeply to explore each scene while completingthe presentation on time. The term “scene” as used herein refers to aset of one or more points that advance a higher-level story. Scenes mayenable the presentation to flow from a portion of the presentation(e.g., a slide) to a next portion (e.g., a next slide), using achronological flow, a problem/solution flow, or an opportunity/leverageflow. Appropriate scenes for a presentation may be discovered byclustering related points into different organizational structures, suchas columns or a hierarchical tree. A hierarchical organization of thescenes and/or the points within each scene may enable the organizationof the presentation such that supporting information branches off fromthe primary idea(s) being conveyed.

The modules 114, 116, or 118 may enable presenters to link scenes invarious ways, such as using an opening gambit (e.g., a question, afactoid, or an anecdote), making repeated references to the flowstructure, making logical transitions between outbound and inboundtopics, closing with a call to action, etc. Presenting a visual road map(e.g., outline) near the start and end of the presentation may guide theaudience when the presentation is being presented and may assist theaudience with retaining a mental model of the presentation. Linkingpoints to other points and scenes may enable the dynamic expansion ofpoints into sub-points, notes, media, files, or web pages that supportthe point being presented. Cued-recall learning refers to aflashcard-like method of testing recall of target information given aninitial cue. Unlike conventional presentation software, the modules 114,116, or 118 may support cued-recall learning. During delivery, theability to expand points as needed (e.g., on-demand) gives the presenterthe freedom and flexibility to respond to the audience by presentingpoints that are appropriate for the audience at a depth that isappropriate for the audience.

In some implementations, the modules 114, 116, or 118 may generate agraphical user interface that enables a user to specify detailsassociated with the presentation, such as a title, one or more points,and one or more graphics for each portion (e.g., slide) of thepresentation. In other implementations, a simple presentation markuplanguage (PML) may be provided to enable a user to specify titles andpoints for each slide included in a presentation. An example of a PMLthat enables a user to specify details associated with the presentationis provided in Table 2. The PML described in Table 2 may support thedevelopment of high-level scenes illustrated with full-bleed images, theexpansion of scenes into points, the expansion of points intosub-points, supporting files, media, and/or web pages, and thepreparation of links between scenes.

TABLE 2 Presentation Markup Language (PML) Example Action SyntaxExplanation Create scenes [Scene 1 < image1.jpg] Create scene slideswith titles “Scene [Scene 2 < image2.jpg] X” that have the backgroundimageX.jpg. Add details [Scene 1 < image1.jpg] Add Point A and Point Bas details of [> Point A] Scene 1, with Point A1 and Point A2 [>> PointA1] sub-details of Point A. A third level of [>> Point A2] detail ispossible using [>>> . . . ], and so [> Point B] on. Add [> Point A >>http://url.tld] Link from Point A to a URL. hyperlinks [> Point B >>anyfile.ext] Link from Point B to a file. Embed media [> Point C >media.ext] Embed image or video into a slide linked from Point C. Addverbal linkages [Scene 1] Add verbal linkage from Scene 1 to {Linkagefrom Scene 1 to 2} Scene 2 (see FIG. 1 for details). [Scene 2] Adjuststyles *styleParameter styleValue Adjust visual properties (fonts,colors, spacing, etc.) Add notes This is a note. Anything outside [ . .. ] or { . . . } is ignored.

The PML of Table 2 may enable a presenter to specify a variety of styleparameters, such as font types, colors of titles and body text, sizesand colors of title backgrounds (e.g., to create contrast when overlaidon a background image), the aspect ratio of the slide, a backgroundcolor, other style-related parameters, or any combination thereof. Themodules 114, 116, and 118 may automatically (e.g., without humaninteraction) scale slide titles to fill the space available in eachslide. The modules 114, 116, and 118 may enable the adjustment of linksbetween a slide and other slides in the presentation. For example, insome cases, a transparent linkage box may be added to zero or more edgesof the four edges of each slide. Each linkage box may be used tohyperlink a particular slide to one or more other slides of thepresentation to create an interconnected slide network. The hyperlinksmay provide a mechanism for dynamic navigation between slides when thepresentation is being presented. For example, the hyperlinks may benavigated using a mouse or using a touchscreen. When using atouchscreen, one or more of the applications 114, 116, or 118 mayinterpret directional swipe gestures as navigation commands.

A presentation, such as the presentation 120 of FIG. 1, may be generatedusing one or more of the modules 114, 116, or 118 by specifying detailsof the presentation at a story level 202, a scene level 204, and adetail level 206. At the story level 202, a user may define scenes, suchas one or more of a first scene 208, a second scene 210, a third scene212, or a fourth scene 214. The scenes 208, 210, 212, and 214 may bedisplayed in a thumbnail view to enable the user to select a particularscene and link the particular scene with one or more other scenes. Forexample, the user may select the first scene 208 and add links from thefirst scene 208 to the second scene 210. The user may then selectanother of the scenes 208, 210, 212, or 214 and add links from theselected scene to other scenes and so on. In the thumbnail view, aselected scene may provide a visual indication that the scene has beenselected, such as by displaying a darker border (as illustrated in FIG.2), a flashing border, or other visual indicator.

The scene level 204 illustrates how the first scene 208 is horizontallylinked to the second scene 210 and the second scene 210 is horizontallylinked to the third scene 212. The scene level 204 may enable the userto add a top level point, such as a first title and first image 218 tothe first scene 208, a second title and second image 220 to the secondscene 210, and a third title and a third image 222 to the third scene.Clicking the top border of a scene may cause a jump to a hyperlinked“storyline” slide with the outbound scene highlighted. From a sequenceof scene described by the user, an overview of all scenes may beautomatically created by one or more of the modules 114, 116, or 118 tosupport non-linear navigation and visual reference to the presentationstructure. The presentation structure may be created by staticallyhyper-linking slides to one another, with different overview slidescreated with different scenes highlighted according to the outboundscene. A similar presentation structure may be achieved throughnavigation and highlights interpreted dynamically at presentationruntime (e.g., by the application). Clicking on a particular scenethumbnail may cause the presentation to jump directly to the particularscene, while horizontal navigation may display the links between scenesproviding a story rehearsal path for preparing the presentation.Clicking on a bottom portion of a scene being displayed may display thehigh level points for the scene. For example, in response to the userclicking the bottom portion of the scene, the high level points may bedisplayed using a drop down menu. If the user causes the high levelpoints to be displayed (e.g., rather than speaking about just thedisplayed scene), the user may navigate back to the scene level 204before advancing to a next slide. Such a mechanism may enable thepresenter to provide closure to each scene while prompting the presenterto verbally convey a previously prepared verbal linkage withoutdisplaying text that competes for the audience's attention.

The detail level 206 may enable the user to add internal hyperlinksand/or external hyperlinks. The details may not be added in a detailview, but the detail level 206 may be realized through hyperlinkedbullets generated from hierarchically-related points (as well as pointsconnected manually in a free-form structure). For example, at the detaillevel 206, the user may add a hyperlink to any of the points 126. Thehyperlink may be used to link to an external file, a web page, oranother type of content that is external to the presentation 120. Thehyperlink may be used to link a point or a slide to other points,slides, descriptions, media data (e.g., image data, video data, audiodata, etc.), or other material that is included in the presentation 120.Once a point has been expanded, clicking on the top border of the eachslide may enable the user to navigate back up the hierarchy. Navigatinghorizontally at the detail level 206 may enable the user to follow adetailed rehearsal path, performing a depth-first traversal of allexpandable points in the presentation, with “cue” slides indicatingwhich points may be expanded. The presenter may repeatedly traverse therehearsal path until the structure of the presentation and the contentof each of the points can be recalled. The modules 114, 116, or 188 mayautomatically generate slide notes to show scene linkages and previewsof point expansions.

To generate the presentation 120, an input file including PML commands,an input text file, and any hyperlinked files or media that are to beembedded into the presentation 120 may be placed in a folder. Providingthe input file that includes the PML commands to an application (e.g.,one or more of the modules 114, 116, or 118) may generate/regenerate thepresentation 120, which may automatically be opened in an installedpresentation application’ such as Microsoft® PowerPoint®. An example ofan input file may appear as:

-   {A new way to think about presentations}-   ^ opening verbal introduction-   [Presenting with HyperSlides<Presenting.jpg]-   ^ title and image of scene 1-   [>Dynamic Presentation Prototyping]-   [>>Dynamic Prototyping of Presentations]-   [>>Prototyping of Dynamic Presentations]-   [>Practical Guidance>PresentationZen.jpg]-   [>Empirical Grounding>>GroundedTheoryStudy.docx]-   ^ hyperlinked bullets, slides, and files of scene 1-   {Presentation slides are prototyped dynamically}-   ^ verbal transition to scene 2-   [Authoring<Prototyping.jpg]-   [>Setting Goals given Constraints]-   [>Telling Stories with Slides]-   [>Planning with Points]-   [>Styling as a Service]-   [>Linking between Scenes]-   {Presentation links are rehearsed dynamically}-   [Rehearsal<Rehearsing.jpg]-   [>Preparing for Structured Spontaneity]-   [>Linking between Scenes]-   [>Expanding on Demand (to learn the story)]-   {Presentation itself is delivered dynamically}-   [Delivery<Delivering.jpg]-   [>Orchestrating Focus and Flow]-   [>Influencing Audience with Timing]-   [>Expanding on Demand (to tell the story)]-   {Rapid iterative prototyping of flexible presentations}-   ^ closing verbal takeaway message    Example Processes

In the flow diagrams of FIGS. 3-6, each block represents one or moreoperations that can be implemented in hardware, software, or acombination thereof. In the context of software, the blocks representcomputer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or moreprocessors, cause the processors to perform the recited operations.Generally, computer-executable instructions include routines, programs,objects, modules, components, data structures, and the like that performparticular functions or implement particular abstract data types. Theorder in which the blocks are described is not intended to be construedas a limitation, and any number of the described operations can becombined in any order and/or in parallel to implement the processes. Fordiscussion purposes, the processes 300, 400, 500, and 600 are describedwith reference to the architectures 100 and 200 as described above,although other models, frameworks, systems and environments mayimplement these processes.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes specifyingand revising a presentation according to some implementations. Thearchitecture 300 describes how a user may create and refine apresentation.

At 302, the user may specify one or more aspects of a presentation. Forexample, in FIG. 1, the user may specify different components of thepresentation 120, such as one or more of the points 126, the text 128,the images 130, the media data 132, or the links 134 using a PML, (e.g.,the PML illustrated in Table 1) or a GUI provided by one or more of themodules 114, 116, or 118.

At 304, the user may generate the presentation. For example, in FIG. 1,the user may use the generation module 116 to generate the presentation120.

At 306, the user may present the presentation. For example, in FIG. 1,the user may use the presentation module 118 to display the presentation120 on the display device 108. The user may rehearse the presentationusing a rehearsal mode of the presentation module 118 and deliver thepresentation 120 to an audience using a delivery mode of thepresentation module 118.

During the rehearsal mode, if the user desires to modify one or moreaspects of the presentation 120, the user may return to 302 to furtherrevise 308 the presentation 120. Thus, 302, 304, 306, and 308 may berepeated until the user is satisfied with the resulting presentation120.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes specifyingdetails associated with a presentation according to someimplementations. For example, the process 400 may be performed by theauthoring module 114 of FIG. 1.

At 402, visual points may be specified. A visual point may be an ideathat is to be conveyed visually using the presentation, e.g., using oneor more slides or media data from the presentation.

At 404, connections between the visual points may be created. Forexample, in FIG. 1, the authoring module 14 may be used to includevisual points that are connected vertically, horizontally,hierarchically, linearly, non-linearly, circularly, or any combinationthereof in the presentation 120.

At 406, verbal points may be specified. A verbal point may be an ideathat is to be conveyed verbally by the presenter. For example, a verbalpoint may be used to introduce the presentation, to transition from oneslide to another slide during the presentation, or to make another typeof point. In FIG. 1, the authoring module 114 may be used to add cues(e.g., text, images, and/or media data) to prompt the presenter toconvey verbal points.

At 408, the contents of the visual points and the verbal points may beedited. For example, in FIG. 1, the authoring module 114 may be used tospecify one or more of text, images, or media data in the contents ofthe visual points and/or the verbal points.

At 410, styles associated with the presentation may be specified. Forexample, in FIG. 1, the authoring module 14 may be used to specifystyles associated with each of the slides 122 to 124, such as fonts,colors, background images, foreground images, or other styles associatedwith presentations.

At 412, the presentation may be generated. For example, in FIG. 1, thegeneration module 116 may be used to generate the presentation 120 afterthe user has completed specifying the contents of the presentation 120.To illustrate, the user may use the authoring module to author apresentation using a PML (e.g., the PML illustrated in Table 1), agraphical user interface, or other authoring tool and then generate thepresentation 120 using the generation module 116 based on the authoring.The user may review the generated presentation and repeat one or more ofblocks 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, or 412 until the user is satisfied withthe resulting presentation.

A presentation may be viewed as a set of points to be communicatedthrough visuals with or without accompanying speech. The points may bemade in the presentation using text, images, media data, or other formsof media such as diagrams, photos, videos, web pages, etc. A particularpoint may be followed by related points at the same level of abstractionas the particular point, or by secondary points (e.g., sub-points) thatexpand on the particular point by providing more details, evidence, orexamples. Some points may be grouped at higher levels, leading to ahierarchical structure in which the points at a particular level may beordered to achieve a particular effect (e.g., the presentation of anargument). A presentation may include a hierarchy in which a title slideis the root, while remaining slides may be children of the root.Similarly, the bullets and other non-title visual elements of a slidemay be the children of the title, and the notes of the slide may bechildren of slide elements or the slide title. When using a conventionalpresentation generation application, once a user has committed to aparticular hierarchical structure, modifying the structure may bedifficult and/or time consuming. For example, the user may spend a largeamount of time (e.g., several minutes) to convert a slide to a bullet orvice-versa. In contrast, the authoring module 114 may enable the user tospecify logical relationships (e.g., sequence, transition, hierarchy,and the like) between points without committing to any arrangement orstyling. To modify the structure of a presentation, the user merelymodifies the relationship between points and re-generates thepresentation using the generation module 116. Thus, the structure of thepresentation 120 may be altered in a few seconds using the authoringmodule 114 as compared to a few minutes to alter the structure using aconventional presentation generation application.

In addition to the text and media content of the points themselves, theauthoring module 114 may enable the user to specify a visual theme forthe presentation 120. The visual theme may include fonts and colors tobe used for the presentation as well as spatial layout rules for thearrangement of points. Thus, the generation of the presentation 120using the generation module 116 may go beyond direct manipulation ofobject placement (e.g., as per the What You See Is What You Get(WYSIWYG) paradigm) to support an automated layout guided by principlesof graphic and narrative design.

The presentation 120 may be specified using a simple markup language(e.g., similar to the PML of Table 1) or through a graphical editor thatsupports the hierarchical layout, styling, and restructuring of points(e.g., using a What You See Is What You Mean (WYSIWYM) paradigm). Thus,the modules 114, 116, or 118 may support assembling the presentation 120from portions of different presentations because the combined pointsfrom the different presentations may be easily restyled to form oneconsistently styled presentation.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes generatinga presentation based on a specification according to someimplementations. For example, the process 500 may be performed by thegeneration module 116 of FIG. 1.

At 502, a file that includes a presentation specification may be parsed.For example, the file may include PML commands (e.g., from Table 1) thatspecify details associated with a specification that is to be generated.The file may be generated by the user or by a graphical user interfaceprovided by the authoring module 114.

At 504, appropriate design rules may be loaded. The design rules may mapan abstract presentation structure (e.g., points, scenes, and theircorresponding relationships) into various representational forms, e.g.,slides, web pages, handouts, canvas layouts and the like. The designrules may include styling principles as proportional spacing, in whichthe points of a slide are distributed equally across the height of theslide or the child points surrounding a parent point in a spatial canvaslayout are placed at equal angular intervals around the parent point.The styling principles may be used to automatically create aestheticlayouts in terms of the relative sizes and distances betweenpresentation points. For example, the golden ratio 1.618 may be used toscale font sizes and inter-point spacing across levels of a presentationpoint hierarchy. Calculating the visual weight of visual elements (e.g.,amount of inked type) and the corresponding centers of mass of thevisual elements may provide visual representations that are balancedwith respect to the center of the display. The stylistic and spatialrelationships between visual elements may vary in accordance with theactions of the presenter while being constrained by the design rules.

At 506, the presentation may be generated. For example, in FIG. 1, thegeneration module 116 may be used to generate the presentation 120.

At 508, at least some elements of the presentation may be arrangedand/or styled. For example, in FIG. 1, the user may review the generatedpresentation 120, tweak one or more elements of the presentation 120 bymodifying an arrangement of the points, a style associated with thepresentation 120, or both.

At 510, at least some elements may be linked. For example, in FIG. 1,the user may link at least some elements of the presentation 120 bylinking points or slides with others points or slides in thepresentation 120 or by adding hyperlinks to content external to thepresentation 120, such as external files, internet sites, etc.

At 512, the presentation may be saved. For example, in FIG. 1, once theuser has generated the presentation 120 and is satisfied with thegenerated presentation 120, the user may save the presentation 120(e.g., in the computer readable media 112 or 132).

Thus, the modules 114, 116, or 118 may enable a content andstory-centered approach to specifying the presentation 120. In addition,the modules 114, 116, or 118 may enable the generation of multiple mediarepresentations of a particular presentation. For example, using thesame authored input file produced by the authoring module 114, thegeneration module 116 may be used to generate different types ofpresentations, such as a set of web pages suitable for display on awebsite, a slide deck (e.g., Microsoft® PowerPoint™) for display using acomputing device, a canvas layout (e.g., Microsoft® Expression Studio™),a slide deck suitable for display on a computing device with displayconstraints (e.g., tablet device or mobile phone), a video (e.g., amovie), or some other presentation medium.

The generation module 116 may generate the presentation 120 with astructure of points that supports complex navigation such that thepresenter can dynamically create a presentation tailored for aparticular audience while presenting the presentation. For example,based on information (e.g., current events), audience comments and/orquestions, or the like, the presenter can navigate the presentation 120to go into more depth on some points while skipping or skimming overother points, without the audience being aware that the presenter isdynamically customizing the presentation 120. The presentation 120 maybe created by compiling the presentation specification into anextensible markup language (XML) of a document format using softwaretools, such as an Open XML software development kit (SDK). In someimplementations, the slides 122 to 124 may include a title, bulletpoints, media content, and spatial regions (e.g., slide borders) thatsupport hyperlink-based navigation between the slides 122 to 124according to the structure of the points in the presentation 120. Theuser may specify the structure of the points by specifying relationshipsbetween the points using the authoring module 114. The modules 114, 116,or 118 may enable hyperlink relationships between points to be quicklyspecified and modified.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example process that includes presentinga presentation based on a specification according to someimplementations. For example, the process 600 may be performed by thepresentation module 118 of FIG. 1.

At 602, a rehearsal mode may be entered. At 604, the presentation may bereviewed. At 606, visual points and verbal points in the presentationmay be navigated to rehearse the presentation. At 608, rehearsal modemay be exited. For example, the user may use the presentation module 118to enter a rehearsal mode to rehearse the presentation 120. In therehearsal mode, the user may navigate the points 126, including verbalpoints and visual points, of the presentation 120. The rehearsal modemay be used to familiarize the presenter with the structure and flow ofthe presentation 120. After the presenter has completed rehearsing thepresentation 120, the presenter may exit the rehearsal mode.

At 610, delivery mode may be entered. At 612, the visual points and/orthe verbal points may be navigated while presenting the presentation.For example, in FIG. 1, the user may enter the delivery mode and presentthe presentation 120, including navigating the points 126 using thelinks 134. A delivery mode (or generated file) may not include somematerial prepared for rehearsal because some material may be intendedfor the speaker but not the audience (e.g., private notes).

Thus, the presentation module 118 may provide various modes, including arehearsal mode in which the presenter can rehearse the presentation anda delivery mode in which the presenter can deliver the presentation.

Example Computing Device and Environment

FIG. 7 illustrates an example configuration of a computing device 700and environment that can be used to implement the modules and functionsdescribed herein. For example, the computing device 102 or the server104 may include an architecture that is similar to or based on thecomputing device 700.

The computing device 700 may include one or more processors 702, amemory 704, communication interfaces 706, a display device 708, otherinput/output (I/O) devices 710, and one or more mass storage devices712, able to communicate with each other, such as via a system bus 714or other suitable connection.

The processor 702 may be a single processing unit or a number ofprocessing units, all of which may include single or multiple computingunits or multiple cores. The processor 702 may be implemented as one ormore microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers, digital signalprocessors, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries,and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operationalinstructions. Among other capabilities, the processor 702 may beconfigured to fetch and execute computer-readable instructions stored inthe memory 704, mass storage devices 712, or other computer-readablemedia.

Memory 704 and mass storage devices 712 are examples of computer storagemedia for storing instructions, which are executed by the processor 702to perform the various functions described above. For example, memory704 may generally include both volatile memory and non-volatile memory(e.g., RAM, ROM, or the like). Further, mass storage devices 712 maygenerally include hard disk drives, solid-state drives, removable media,including external and removable drives, memory cards, flash memory,floppy disks, optical disks (e.g., CD, DVD), a storage array, a networkattached storage, a storage area network, or the like. Both memory 704and mass storage devices 712 may be collectively referred to as memoryor computer storage media herein, and may be capable of storingcomputer-readable, processor-executable program instructions as computerprogram code that can be executed by the processor 702 as a particularmachine configured for carrying out the operations and functionsdescribed in the implementations herein.

Although illustrated in FIG. 7 as being stored in memory 704 ofcomputing device 700, the authoring module 114, the generation module116, the presentation module 118, the presentation 120, other modules716 and other data 718, or portions thereof, may be implemented usingany form of computer-readable media that is accessible by the computingdevice 700. As used herein, “computer-readable media” includes computerstorage media and communication media.

Computer storage media includes non-volatile, removable andnon-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storageof information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules, or other data. Computer storage media includes, but isnot limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memorytechnology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other opticalstorage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used tostore information for access by a computing device.

In contrast, communication media may embody computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in amodulated data signal, such as a carrier wave. As defined herein,computer storage media does not include communication media.

The computing device 700 may also include one or more communicationinterfaces 706 for exchanging data with other devices, such as via anetwork, direct connection, or the like, as discussed above. Thecommunication interfaces 806 can facilitate communications within a widevariety of networks and protocol types, including wired networks (e.g.,LAN, cable, etc.) and wireless networks (e.g., WLAN, cellular,satellite, etc.), the Internet and the like. Communication interfaces806 can also provide communication with external storage (not shown),such as in a storage array, network attached storage, storage areanetwork, or the like.

A display device 708, such as a monitor may be included in someimplementations for displaying information and images to users. OtherI/O devices 810 may be devices that receive various inputs from a userand provide various outputs to the user, and may include a keyboard, aremote controller, a mouse, a printer, audio input/output devices, voiceinput, and so forth.

Memory 704 may include modules and components for training machinelearning algorithms (e.g., PRFs) or for using trained machine learningalgorithms according to the implementations described herein. The memory704 may include multiple modules (e.g., the modules 114, 116, and 118)to perform various functions. The memory 704 may also include othermodules 716 that implement other features and other data 718 thatincludes intermediate calculations and the like. The other modules 716may include various software, such as an operating system, drivers,communication software, or the like.

The example systems and computing devices described herein are merelyexamples suitable for some implementations and are not intended tosuggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of theenvironments, architectures and frameworks that can implement theprocesses, components and features described herein. Thus,implementations herein are operational with numerous environments orarchitectures, and may be implemented in general purpose andspecial-purpose computing systems, or other devices having processingcapability. Generally, any of the functions described with reference tothe figures can be implemented using software, hardware (e.g., fixedlogic circuitry) or a combination of these implementations. The term“module,” “mechanism” or “component” as used herein generally representssoftware, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware that canbe configured to implement prescribed functions. For instance, in thecase of a software implementation, the term “module,” “mechanism” or“component” can represent program code (and/or declarative-typeinstructions) that performs specified tasks or operations when executedon a processing device or devices (e.g., CPUs or processors). Theprogram code can be stored in one or more computer-readable memorydevices or other computer storage devices. Thus, the processes,components and modules described herein may be implemented by a computerprogram product.

Furthermore, this disclosure provides various example implementations,as described and as illustrated in the drawings. However, thisdisclosure is not limited to the implementations described andillustrated herein, but can extend to other implementations, as would beknown or as would become known to those skilled in the art. Reference inthe specification to “one implementation,” “this implementation,” “theseimplementations” or “some implementations” means that a particularfeature, structure, or characteristic described is included in at leastone implementation, and the appearances of these phrases in variousplaces in the specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame implementation.

CONCLUSION

Although the subject matter has been described in language specific tostructural features and/or methodological acts, the subject matterdefined in the appended claims is not limited to the specific featuresor acts described above. Rather, the specific features and actsdescribed above are disclosed as example forms of implementing theclaims. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of the disclosed implementations, and the following claimsshould not be construed to be limited to the specific implementationsdisclosed in the specification. Instead, the scope of this document isto be determined entirely by the following claims, along with the fullrange of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:receiving scene input specifying a plurality of scenes associated with apresentation; receiving content input specifying a content of at leastone scene of the plurality of scenes; generating, based at least in parton the scene input, the content input, and style input, the presentationcomprising a plurality of slides having a hierarchical organizationincluding a story level, a scene level, and a detail level; andgenerating, based at least in part on linkage information, a pluralityof linkages, including: a first vertical linkage between a first slideat the story level and a second slide at the scene level; and a secondvertical linkage between the second slide at the scene level and a thirdslide at the detail level.
 2. The computer-implemented method as recitedin claim 1, further comprising: receiving the linkage informationlinking a particular scene with one or more additional scenes of theplurality of scenes; receiving a plurality of points for inclusion inthe particular scene; and receiving structure information associatedwith the plurality of points, wherein the plurality of points areorganized based on the structure information in the presentation.
 3. Thecomputer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:receiving navigation input while the presentation is being presented;and dynamically displaying a specified portion of the presentation basedon the navigation input without displaying other portions of thepresentation.
 4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sceneinput, the linkage information, the content input, and the style inputare specified in an input file using commands from a presentation markuplanguage.
 5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1,further comprising: determining that the style input was not received;and selecting a default style as the style input.
 6. A computing devicecomprising: one or more processors; one or more computer-readablestorage media storing instructions executable by the one or moreprocessors to perform acts comprising: receiving point input specifyinga plurality of visual points associated with a presentation; receivinglinkage input specifying one or more connections between at least twopoints of the plurality of visual points; receiving content inputspecifying contents of at least one of the plurality of visual points;receiving one or more edits associated with the presentation; editingone or more of the plurality of visual points, the one or moreconnections, or the contents of at least one of the plurality of visualpoints based on the one or more edits; generating the presentation basedon the point input, the linkage input, the content input, and the one ormore edits, the presentation comprising a plurality of slides having ahierarchical organization including a story level, a scene level, and adetail level; and generating, based at least in part on the linkageinput, a plurality of linkages, including: a first vertical linkagebetween a first slide at the story level and a second slide at the scenelevel; and a second vertical linkage between the second slide at thescene level and a third slide at the detail level.
 7. The computingdevice as recited in claim 6, the acts further comprising: entering arehearsal mode in response to receiving an enter rehearsal mode command;displaying one or more navigation controls to navigate the presentation;and exiting the rehearsal mode in response to receiving an exitrehearsal mode command.
 8. The computing device as recited in claim 6,wherein the generating the presentation comprises: determining a defaultstyle in response to determining that style input was not received; andgenerating the presentation based on the default style.
 9. The computingdevice as recited in claim 6, wherein the generating the presentationcomprises: receiving style input specifying a style for thepresentation; and generating the presentation based on the style input.10. The computing device as recited in claim 6, wherein: the point inputand the linkage input are specified in an input file using commands froma presentation markup language; and the generating the presentationcomprises: parsing the input file for the commands; and generating thepresentation based on the commands in the input file.
 11. The computingdevice as recited in claim 6, wherein the point input and the linkageinput are specified using a graphical user interface.
 12. A methodcomprising: under control of one or more processors configured withexecutable instructions to perform acts comprising: parsing an inputfile comprising commands from a presentation markup language; creating aplurality of slides having a hierarchical organization including a storylevel, a scene level, and a detail level; generating, based at least inpart on the input file, a plurality of linkages, including: a firstvertical linkage between a first slide at the story level and a secondslide at the scene level; and a second vertical linkage between thesecond slide at the scene level and a third slide at the detail level;adding one or more points to at least one slide of the plurality ofslides based on the commands; adding a hyperlink to access a website toat least one slide of the plurality of slides based on the commands;embedding media data into at least one slide of the plurality of slidesbased on the commands; and applying a style specified by one of thecommands to at least one of the plurality of slides.
 13. The method asrecited in claim 12, the acts further comprising: displaying thepresentation; displaying a navigation interface; receiving a selectionof navigation control; and modifying a display of the presentation basedat least in part on the selection.
 14. The method as recited in claim12, the acts further comprising adding a verbal linkage cue to at leastone of the plurality of slides based on the commands.
 15. The method asrecited in claim 12, wherein the media data comprises at least one ofaudio data or video data.
 16. The method as recited in claim 12 the actsfurther comprising adding a note to at least one of the plurality ofslides based on the commands.
 17. The method as recited in claim 12,wherein: a first slide of the plurality of slides originated from afirst presentation having a first style; a second slide of the pluralityof slides originated from a second presentation having a second style;and the plurality of slides have a third style that is different fromboth the first style and the second style.
 18. The method as recited inclaim 12, the acts further comprising linking one slide of the pluralityof slides to at least one other slide of the plurality of slides. 19.The method as recited in claim 12, the acts further comprising:initiating presenting the presentation; receiving navigation input; anddynamically displaying a specified portion of the presentation based onthe navigation input without displaying other portions of thepresentation.
 20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the inputfile includes commands in the presentation markup language that describethe hierarchical organization of the plurality of slides.